In Germany at 4pm there is Kaffee und Kuchen Zeit - or coffee and cake time. It's a chance to sit and chat with friends while drinking coffee and nibbling something delicious. I hope that is what this blog will be. A chance to share some recipes, kick back, and enjoy.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

A friend of mine asked me if I could make
gnocchi this past winter.She told me
that her daughter had gnocchi at an Italian restaurant in New Hersey and had
really enjoyed it.She was hesitant to
buy the dehydrated shelf stable gnocchi at our local grocery store for fear
that it would not measure up to her daughter’s expectations.

I have made gnocchi before, and each time
with different results.I have poured
over many a recipe, website and magazine article.I even got a secret family recipe from a
college friend once for his grandmother’s gnocchi.But due to the mixed results I seem to
produce, I was a little hesitant to volunteer to be a gnocchi guru.

In looking over even more recipes, I
found one that included some egg, and seemed to give some step by step
instructions.The gnocchi could be
produced in a grand total of 2 hours, which is the max attention span time
limit when making food with children.There was enough “waiting” time in which small ones can leave the
kitchen and run around before coming back and getting to work.

I find that the most difficult part in
making gnocchi; is making it look good.You can gently roll the little sections of dough off the back of a fork
and create a little groove with dimples or you can simply stick your finger
into each piece and flick it to create a small hallow space.Thankfully, a friend volunteered to do that part, which is why these gnocchi look good.I lose patience after about a dozen segments
and the appearance of my gnocchi deteriorate greatly as the process wears on.

This was a wonderful project to take on
with friends, children playmates and a little booze.It make the tedious turn into a joyful
experience, and I think that is exactly the way almost every meal should be
approached. The adults here were so
enamored with the gnocchi that several very picky children expressed excitement
in trying the end result.

And for the little girl who was to
compare the homemade gnocchi with her restaurant version – she told me it was
even better than that dish she had in New Jersey.Now that is a pretty wonderful compliment.

Preheat the oven to 425°. Roast the potatoes in their skins for about
45minutes to an hour (depending on their size).They are done, when the skins appear to be a bit loose, and there are
some darker brown spots on the potatoes.Let the potatoes cool.

Peel the potatoes, removing the thicker
tough layer just under the skin.Grate
the potatoes on the large holes of a box grater, and place in a large bowl.

Add in the egg yolks, flour, nutmeg, salt
and pepper.Begin to stir this together
to fully incorporate everything.Once
the mixture becomes more stiff, use your hands to fully combine into a
dough.If the dough won’t stay together
easily when pinched, add some of the egg whites. Or if the dough seems too wet
and sticky add a bit more flour – keeping in mind you will need some flour to
roll the gnocchi out.

Once the mixture is combined, divide it
into 4 even pieces.Roll these pieces
out into a ½” diameter rope.Cut the
rope into ¾” pieces.Roll each piece off
the back of a fork, pressing slightly to make groves in the gnocchi, or simply
press your finger into each piece, roll it gently towards you and then flick it
away.

Place the gnocchi on a parchment lined baking
sheet in a single layer, and freeze for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted
water to a boil.Once the gnocchi are
frozen, drop 7-10 in the pot at a time.Once they float to the surface, skim them out, and place on a kitchen
towel lined sheet.Repeat with remaining
gnocchi until all are cooked.At this
point, you can refreeze the gnocchi to save them for later, or you can add them
to a sauce.

We baked ours in a mixture of cheese,
spinach and heavy cream for an easy gratin.